Combined stool and quilting-frame.



I PATENTED MAY 19,1903. J. FITZGERALD. 1 COMBINED s'rooL AND QUILTINGFRAME; APPLICATION FILED 111L119, 1902.

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' J. FITZGERALD.

comnmn STOOL AND QUILTING FRAME.

APPLICATION IILED J-ULY 19, 1902.

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PATENTED MAY 19, 1903.

v J. FITZGERALD. COMBINED STOOL AND QUILTING FRAME.

APPLiOATION FILED JULY 19, 1902.

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PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES FITZGERALD, OF POINT PLEASANT, MISSOURI.

COMBINED STOQL AND QUILTING-FRAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 728,695, dated May 19,1903.

' Application filed July 19, 1902. Serial No. 116,257. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES FITZGERALD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Point Pleasant, in the county of New Madrid and State ofMissouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in a Combined Stooland Quilting-Frame, of which the following is a specification.

- This invention relates to a combined stool and quilting-frame and theobject of the same is to provide a simple organization of contributingelements convertible from a stool into a quilting-frame, or vice versa,and mainly overcoming the objection and disadvantage of the cumbersomeand unwieldy form of the usual quilting-frame construction and also tohave the frame when folded serve as a supporting means for a stool-seat.

With these and other objects and advantages in View the inventionconsists in the construction and arrangement of the-several parts, whichwill be more fully-hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings,cFigure lois a perspective View of the improved devicearranged as a quilting-frame. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectionthrough-the device as shown arranged by Fig. 1 with the quilt removed.Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the improved device arranged as a stool.Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section through the improved device asshown arranged by Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of a portion of oneof the quilt-holding elements. Fig. 6 is a detail plan viewof astretcher-bar forming part of the quilting-frame organization. Fig. 7 isa bottom plan view of a part of the stretcherbar as shown by Fig. 6,illustrating the manner of locking the joint of the same.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts in the several views.

The numeral 1 designates a base compris-' ing bars 2, intersecting eachother at right angles. Extending upwardly from the basebars 2 areclamping-bolts 3,which pass through longitudinal slots 4, formed inadjustable feet 5, which are horizontally arranged on the said bars andhave terminal extensions 6,whereby the base 1 may be extendedto providea stable support for the improved device when arranged as aquilting-frame. The clampto permit them to be adjusted. Rising from thepoint of intersection of the bars 2 is a post 8, secured at its upperend to the under side of a horizontal platform 9, and depending from thelatter are retaining-bars 10, having lower slotted ends 11 embracing thefeet 5 to hold the said feet against lateral movement. The feet 5 arefree to slide through the lower slotted ends 11 of the retainingbars 10,and a positive extension of said feet will result through theircooperation with or engagement by the said retaining-bars. Rising fromthe center of the platform 9 is a tubular upright 12,having acentrally-apertured head 13 secured on the upper end thereof and formedwith oppositely-extending longitudinally-disposed arms 14, on the outerend of which buttons or clamping members 15 are pivotally secured. Onopposite sides of the uprights 12 brackets 16 are secured and haveoutwardly-projecting upwardly-extending curved arms 17, which areterminally apertured for a purpose which will be presently explained.

To the opposite ends of the platform 9 the inner ends of opposite pairsof stretcher-bars 18 are hinged, said bars having an interme diatebreak-joint or hinge connection 19 at an intermediate pointineach one ofthe same, and inwardly from the said intermediate joints of the pairs ofbars are cross connecting-strips 20, preferably formed of metal. To thecenters of the strips 20 the outer ends of foldable or jointedbrace-links 21 are socured, which serve to hold the stretcher-bars at apredetermined angle ofinclination when open and prevent the said barsfrom being depressed below a certain prearranged inclined plane. Theinner ends of the links are movably connected to the apertured terminalsof the arms 17 of the brackets 16 by means of hooks 22, detachablyapplied to said armterminals, whereby the links may be disconnected fromthe brackets when the stretcherarms 18 are infolded to form the improveddevice into a stool. The outer ends of the stretcher-bars 18 are firmlyand immovably secured to transversely-extending quilt-supporting bars23, having clamping-bolts 24 projecting through the center thereof andcooperating with pairs of expanding bars 25, each pair of bars 25 havingreversely-positioned guide-slots 26 in the contiguous edges 5 thereofand which are engaged by the bolt 24 to limit the outward movement ofthe said bars 25. The stop-pins 27 abut against reversely-positionedshoulders 26, also formed in the bars 25, to limit the inward movement Iof the said bars. The bars 25 are held in their adjusted positions bythe clamping bolts 24, and by varying the outward extent of the saidbars the change in widths of the quilt operated upon may beaccommodated. I Each bar 25 has an outer terminal head or enlargement28, formed with an L-shaped slot 29, which opens outwardly through thetop thereof, the horizontal portions of the said slots providing thesaid heads with outwardly-projecting retaining members 30.

A pair of quilt-holding bars 31 (shown in detail by Figs. 6 and 7) areused with the improved device when it is arranged as a quilting-frame,each bar 31 comprising a pair of sections having their inner endsconnected by a hinge 32, and adjacent to the joint thus formed on theunder side of the bar is a locking-latch 33, having one end pivoted toone of the sections of the bar and the opposite 0 end formed with a hook34 to removably engage a stud 35 on the adjacent section, whereby thesections of each bar 31 may be immow ably or rigidly held while in useas a part of the quilting-frame or be folded in compact 35 form forstorage when not in use. Secured to the upper edge of each bar 3 bysuitable staples or analogous devices 36 is a rope 37 or the like, whichextends almost full length of the bar for attachment of the quiltthereto 40 by means of pins, stitches, or other fastenings. The rope 37or the like being flexible will not interfere with the reduction of eachbar to compact form by folding and will serve as very, efficient meansfor securing the quilt for obvious reasons. The end of each bar has anoutwardly-projecting stem 38, with a terminal head 39, having a disk 40bearing thereagainst, the diameter of the stems 38 being slightly lessthan the width of the slots 29, in which they are fitted. When the stems38 are inserted in the slots 29 and the quilt is drawn taut in relationto the two bars 31, said stems will be pulled under the outwardly-projecting retaining member 30 of the heads 28 of the bars 25 to preventaccidental disengagement of. the bars 31 from the heads 28. When thebars 31 are placed in engagement with the heads 28 of the bars 25,

the outer pairs of sections of the stretcherbars 18 will be held againstinward or infolding movement, and a rigid quilting-frame will 'thus beprovided. The bars 31, carrying the quilt, may be detached from theheads 28 and remain in connection with the quilt in the event that thequilting operation is not completed and it is desired to suspend suchoperation fora time and reduce the improved device to compact form, orif the quilting operation has been completed the quilt is removed fromthe bars 31 and the latter are folded and stored.

When the improved device is reduced to compact form, the inner ends ofthe links are first detached from the terminals of the bracket-arms l7and the outer sections of the stretchers 18 are folded inwardly over thelatter and both sections brought up close to the upright 12, theturn-buttons 15 being first turned vertically to permit the arms 14 ofthe head 13 to pass through the spaces between the parts of the foldedstretchers, and after said arms 14 are projected through the part of thestretchers the turn-buttons 15 are rotated to bring them into horizontalposition against the outer faces of the lower sections of the foldedstretchers 18. When the stretchers 18 are in the connected position justdescribed, the supporting-bars 23 and the pairs of bars 25 carriedthereby will rest on the platform 9 in inverted position, as clearly.shown by Figs. 3 and 4, and the intermediate joints of thestretcher-sections will stand elevated above the head 13.

The improved device comprises inits organization a stool-seat 41, havinga central depending post 42 and apair ofparallellongitudinally-extending cleats 43 on the under side thereof. When theparts of the quilting-frame are infolded, as set forth, the post 42 ispassed down between the folded stretchers18, through the apertured heads13, and into the upright'12, the upper ends or intermediate jointportions of the stretchers 18 being located between the cleats 43 tohold the stool-seat against rotative movement.

It will be seen that the stool attachment may be readily applied ordetached and the entire device quickly converted into one form ortheother. It is also apparent that changes in the form,-proportions,dimensions, and minor details may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1.In a device of the class set forth, the combination of 'a base, aplatform supported by the base and having depending guide-bars,extensible feet mounted on the base and engaging thesaid guide-bars,quilting members supported by said platform, a stool-engaging meansdisposed on the platform, and a stool member removably applied to thesaid stoolengaging means.

2. In a device of the class set forth, the combination of a supportingmeans, infolding stretcher-s movably attached to said supporting meansand having terminal quilt-supporting devices, and foldable quilt-holdingbars removably mounted in the said latter devices.

3. In adevice of the class set forth, the combination of supportingmeans,pairs of stretchers movably attached to opposite sides of saidsupporting means and madeu p of infolde'dsections adapted to beimmovably locked against said means, quilt-supporting devices held atthe outer terminals of the stretchers and having pairs of expansiblearms thereon, and quilt-holding bars made up of foldable sections andprovided with reduced terminals to removably engage said expansiblearms.

4. In a device of the class set forth, the combination of a supportingmeans, infolding stretcher arms movably attached to said means, devicesconnected to said stretcherarms for holding the quilt, and bracescomprising a series of movably-connected links attached to saidstretcher-arms and detachably connected to the said supporting means.

5. In a device of the class set forth, the combination of a supportingmeans, stretcher arms movably and foldably attached to said means andcomprising pairs of arms with spaces between them, a head held by saidsupporting means and having oppositely-projecting arms with turn-buttonson the endsth ereof, the stretchers when folded being drawn over thesaid arms and removably secured by the turn-buttons, and quilt-holdingdevices held by the said arms.

6. In a device of the class set forth, the combination with supportingmeans, of folding stretcher-arms movably attached thereto and havingquilt-holdin g devices connected to the terminals thereof, and foldablequilt-holding bars. having ropes secured to and extending longitudinallyof the upper edges thereof.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES FITZGERALD.

Witnesses GORDON TREADWELL, RICHARD EVANS.

